Vehicular coupling



April 5, 1938. H WOHLDORF v 2,113,338.

l VEHICULAR yCOUPLINGA Filed June 1, 1936 Patented pr. 1938 UNiTr-:D STATES PATENTA oi-FlcE VEHICULAR COUPLING I Hans Wohldorf, Neumuenster, Germany Application June 1, 1936, Serial No. 82,996 In Germany February 15, 1936 forked guide memberfor the draw bar, the eye portion of which is releasably secured in the guide member by a bolt. Coupling yokes have l also been proposed in which a coupling hook could be locked in the coupled position. Such prior arrangements of which I am awarehave the disadvantage that they either are not sufliciently reliable in practice, or that they permit l only a slight deviation vof the draw bar so that interruptions in operation readily occur when the coupled vehicles are traversing sharp curves, or that they do not permit automatic coupling so that accidents to the operators are frequently caused, while in particular they have too great a structural height so that they could not beemployed with low chassis.

The object of the present invention is to provide a modified form of automatic coupling device which in practice obviates the disadvan-f tages of theprior arrangements above referred to. According to the present invention provision is made of an automatic coupling device with a forked coupling member wherein the draw bar is secured in the coupling. member by means of a coupling pin which has the form of a section of an annulus.

In a practical embodiment of the invention, the coupling pin slides in a guide in the form of a tubular arc of corresponding radius of curvature which is arranged above the forked coupling member. Preferably the coupling pin is subjeetedto the pressure of a spring, for example a helical spring, which bears at one end against `the upper part of the coupling pin and at the other end against the Opposite end of the tubular arc.

Provided in the coupling member is preferably a'locking device; for Ainstance a springurged lever or the like provided with a projection or lug which in the opened position can engage in a corresponding recess in the lower part of the coupling pin, the'lever being so shaped that in 5 the coupling operation it isvengaged by the coupling eye portion of the trailer' draw bar and moved out ofthe recess in the coupling pin so that under the action of the spring the coupling pin is urged automatically into the coupling position.j

1 claim. (ci. 28o- 3315) One embodiment is shown by way' of example in the drawing in which Fig. 1 shows the coupling device according to the present invention in vertical longitudinal section in the opened position ready for coupling, .5

and

Fig. 2 shows the same coupling device in the coupled position.

As seen from the drawing, the coupling device according' to the present invention consists of'10 -a forked head I with an upper fork 2 and a lower fork ilv ilared to form a guide 4 of funnel or .similar shape, to enable a ready introduction of' the coupling eye 5 of the draw bar 6 of the trailer.

The forked heed l is rigidly secured to the motor 15 vehicle in known manner by means of a connection 1.

O n the upper part of the forked` head I an 'arcuate tube or sleeve 8' with a circular borel 9 extends from the upper fork 2. The sleeve is con- 20 nected at its upper free end to the head I by means of a strut I0, theupper end being closed bya cap II or the like. At its lower Vend the sleeve is connected to tlieupper fork 2 so that the bore 9 in the sleeve merges into a bore I2 in the 25 upper fork 2, this bore being continued as a corresponding bore I3 in the lower fork 3.

Longitudinally slidable in the bore 9 of the guide sleeve 8 is a coupling pin I 4 which also has the form of a section of an annulus, i. e. a seg- 30 ment of the radius of curvature of the bore 9, and is of circular cross section. At .its upper end, the coupling pin Mis connected with a pin I5 which terminates in a handle or knob I6 and can slide in a longitudinal slot Il in the sleeve 8. 35 The longitudinal slot I1 is covered by a cover plate I8 which has an aperture I9 to permit the passage of the pin I5 so that by means of the latter the cover plate I8 participates in the displacement of the coupling pin I4. Moreover, the 40 cover plate Il is urged against the curved outer wall of the sleeve V8 by means of a helical spring 20.l

Disposed between the rearpert of the coupling pin Ifand the base II of the sleeve 8 is a helical 45 spring 9' which tends to urge the coupling pin I4 downwardly into the coupled position.

Provided in the lower part of the coupling pin Il is a recess 2I in which can engage the proiection or lug 25 of a locking lever 22 in the ready- 50- for-ooupling position, the lever being pivotal about a pin 24k and subjected to the thrust of a spring 23. l The locking lever 22 can move in a recess 28 in the head I.

1n the idle position, the lug 2s ef the melting se lever 22 engages in the recess 2l in the coupling pin I4 and holds the coupling pin in the un-coupled position as shown in Fig. 1.

If now the draw bar 6 of the trailer is introduced with its coupling eye 6 into the funnel shaped guide 4 oi the head, then it slides between the two forks 2, l until its leading'portion 21 engages the locking lever 22 at the point 28, displaces the lockinglever 22 (to the left in the embodimentshown in the drawing) against the pressure of the spring 23, so that the lug 25 is withdrawn fromthe recess 2I and thus from Ythe proille of the coupling pin' Il, which under the pressure of the spring 8 is urged through the' opening I2 in the Iork 2, through the coupling eye 5 in the draw bar 6 and through the bore I 3 in the lower fork 3 to secure the draw bar 6 in the-coupled position.

It hasy been found that this construction satisfies all practical requirements. If desired, the coupling pin I4 can be held byva suitable locking device, for example a pin, a yoke which embraces the pin I5 or the knob I6 and which may be spring urged, or by other suitable means.

Also, a locking can be effected by the lever 22 by the lug 25 engaging in another recess, not shown in the drawing, in the coupling pin I4, so that the coupling pin is heldin the couplingposition. Provision must then be made for retract;-` ing the catch 22 by a suitable device for uncoupling.

For uncoupling, the coupling pin I4 is moved upwardly against the action of the spring 9' by meansof the knob I6.' until' the lug 2i mages in the recess- 2| and holds the coupling pin I4 in the uncoupled position.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and described and the scope of the present invention includes all arrangements in which the coupling is eected'by a coupling pin which has the form of a section of an annulus.

I claimz- A coupling head for engaging a draw-bar with an eye substantially at the free end thereof, said head having an open socket for receiving the free end of said drawbar, aslidably mounted,

substantially arcuate coupling pin resiliently' urged across said mouth to an eye-engaging position, and a pivoted latch lever resiliently urged to one position to engage said pin whereby to prevent the same from sliding across said mouth, and movable to another position to release said pin, said lever having a pin-engaging portion, and a bar-engaging portion,` the latter portion being substantially set back from the former 

